Lebanon must halt the forced deportations of Syrian refugees and reverse the unprecedented and severe measures announced on May 8, 2024, according to a joint statement by seven organizations today. These organizations also called on donor countries to urge Lebanon to uphold the principle of non-refoulement and ensure that their aid does not facilitate abusive deportations.
On May 2, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Beirut and announced a one-billion-euro financial assistance package to Lebanon, aimed at curbing refugee arrivals to EU countries. Approximately one-fifth of this package is designated to support the Lebanese army and security services’ border management and migration control. Since then, Lebanese authorities have intensified pressure on Syrians, implementing new policies that may force even more refugees to flee.
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On May 8th, the statement elaborated, the Lebanese General Security announced new measures, including:
– Syrians violating entry and residency laws must report to border departments to regularize their status or face legal action.
– Lebanese citizens are prohibited from employing or housing Syrians residing illegally, under penalty of arrest.
– Syrians registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are restricted to specified work sectors.
– Voluntary and safe returns of Syrian nationals under the General Directorate of Public Security will resume.
– Suspension of granting or renewing residency permits based on housing lease contracts or personal responsibility pledges.
– Changes to conditions for renewing residence permits under financial guarantee.
– Closure of illegal establishments managed by Syrians and penalties for employing foreign workers in violation of residency and labor laws.
Since May 9, dozens of raids and arrests have occurred nationwide, according to the statement. The government has resumed return convoys to Syria. Syrian-run shops have been closed, and residency permits are being revoked.
Given that at least 83% of Syrian refugees in Lebanon lack legal residency and Syrians who entered the country irregularly after April 2019 are deemed “illegal,” these measures place hundreds of thousands at immediate risk of forced deportation. The United Nations maintains that no part of Syria is safe for returns, citing ongoing violence and persecution. Recent reports from the UN and human rights organizations highlight continued dangers for returnees, including arbitrary detention, torture, disappearance, and death at the hands of Syrian security forces and affiliated militias.
Lebanon hosts the largest number of refugees per capita, with 1.5 million Syrian refugees. The country struggles to support refugees amid an economic crisis that has pushed over 80% of the population into poverty. Donor countries have significantly reduced funding for refugee programs, with only 2,800 Syrians resettled to the EU from Lebanon in 2023, representing just 1% of those in need.
The signatories called on donors to take responsibility and ensure their funding does not contribute to human rights violations. The upcoming Brussels VIII Conference on the Future of Syria and the Region on May 27 should be used to provide additional funding to support refugees and Lebanese host communities and to resettle more Syrian refugees to Europe and the United States.
“By all accounts, Syria remains unsafe for return. Rather than providing a de facto green light to summary deportations of Syrian refugees, the US, EU, and other donor countries should make clear that violations of the non-refoulement principle will have concrete consequences for their bilateral relations with Lebanon,” the organizations concluded.
